Why I Hope to Die at 75
theatlantic.com
theatlantic.com
75 is not that old, both of my grandmas are around/past that age and they are strong and clever as ever.
Do you currently live with pain?
Having seen every member of the last two generations of my family die while I was in my 20's and 30's, I find myself hoping I live as long as that mindset dictates. I also hope that lasts until I'm far older than 75.
As a counter-example, Frank Lloyd Wright was productive up to his final year at 92:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2384327/Happiness-...
The author seems to reach this by asserting that the things he currently values will not be possible when his health declines. How does he know that these values won't change by the time he's 70? The things we value constantly change. As kids, we value playing games, eating candy, making friends, etc. These values change as we become young adults, and seem to change throughout different stages of life.
The things the author seems to currently value can be found here:
> It (old age) robs us of our creativity and ability to contribute to work, society, the world. It transforms how people experience us, relate to us, and, most important, remember us.
Not all people value creativity, and ability to contribute to society equally though. The author seems to be defined by his work and ability to keep up the image as a highly-functional, productive, independent member of society. If this is how you define yourself, then of course old age looks like a loss.
> Americans seem to be obsessed with exercising, doing mental puzzles, consuming various juice and protein concoctions, sticking to strict diets, and popping vitamins and supplements, all in a valiant effort to cheat death and prolong life as long as possible.
People do this to live a higher quality life too, and the benefits are short-term. Ironically, not doing these things can arguably "rob us of our creativity and ability to contribute to work, society, the world", something the author seems to value more than anything else.
> living too long is also a loss. It renders many of us, if not disabled, then faltering and declining, a state that may not be worse than death but is nonetheless deprived. It robs us of our creativity and ability to contribute to work, society, the world.
This makes sense, but I don't see why 75 is the age. One can become the described above shadow of oneself earlier, or can still be interested in life and actively contributing past this age.
It would be best to say "I plan to die when I feel old, decrepit, and useless, or right before it". Well, so do I. But I also hope that both medicine and my actions will keep pushing the age when this is going to happen.
This is no way to live. We as a society should focus less on "life extension" and more on living healthy lives and curing disease in general. Old age is not a disease. What's wrong with living and dying with dignity?
"Elderly folks in nursing homes" are not a representative sample of people in their age range. There is a pretty significant selection bias there.
> We as a society should focus less on "life extension" and more on living healthy lives and curing disease in general.
Most focus on "life extension" is on curing diseases of aging and repairing or presenting progressive damage that results in decreased quality of life and, ultimately, death, so I don't think the goals you prefer are actually much different than what focus on "life extension" already means in practice.
> What's wrong with living and dying with dignity?
Nothing. Lots of us would just prefer more of the former, and doing the latter later.
There is no higher social benefit to life extension, at least none that I can see. It's a uniquely individualist/selfish technology.
One benefit would be people thinking increasingly about the long-term; which has implications for things like global warming and wars.
> It's a uniquely individualist/selfish technology.
And wanting billions of people to die so that a myopic status quo can be perpetuated is what?